Machine for attaching an electrical terminal to a wire



MACHINE FOR ATTACHING AN ELECTRICAL TERMINAL TO A WIRE Dec. 31, 1963 w. E. STRAUBEL Filed Feb. 21. 1961 INVENTOR.

WALTER E. STRAUBEL ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice Patented Dec. 31, 1963 3,115,922 MAQHlNE FOR ATTACHlNG AN ELECTRICAL TERMINAL T A WERE Walter E. Stranbel, Johnston, ILL, assignor to Electric Terminal Corporation, a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Feb. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 90,857 3 Claims. (Cl. 153-1) This invention relates to a machine for attaching an electrical terminal to a wire and more particularly to the plunger and the rolling punches carried thereby which serve to bend the ears of the terminal about the Wire and its insulation.

The invention is an improvement on a part of the machine shown in my application, Serial No. 52,906, filed Aug. 30, 1960, now Patent No. 3,076,585, and reference is made to that application for a general working of the machine.

In the above mentioned application the plunger carried the rolling punches and there was provided an adjustment for these rolling punches with reference to the plunger for the rolling of the terminal ears about different sizes of wire or different sizes of insulation. This adjustment, however, depended upon the manipulation of screws and nuts and the relative movement of two surfaces which are inclined relative to the movement of the plunger.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simpler and more positive adjustment of the position of the punches nfor different sizes of wire or insulation about the wire.

Another object of the invention is to provide for an adjustment of the above character by a dial arrangement which will permit the sizes to be selected by the turning of a dial.

Another object of this invention is to provide an arran gement so that a plurality of dials may be utilized for adjusting a plurality of punches in the plunger which descends to cause the rolling action of the ears of the terminal about the wire and its insulation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a positive predetermined adjustment for different sizes of wire and insulation according to some predetermined arrangement.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

in the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of a machine for attaching electric terminals to a wire and has somewhat the same appearance as the machine referred to in my co-pending application, Serial No. 52,906;

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of the plunger with the added arrangement which appears in this invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional View through the plunger showing the operating parts;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing the cams for two different punches and the dials for heir adjustment; and

FIG. 5 is an elevation of one of the punches.

In proceeding with this invention, 1 modified the plunger of the machine referred to in the above said application 52,906 by providing two cams, one for each of the two rolling punches with an arrangement so that these cams may be adjusted for variously positioning the rolling punches with reference to the plunger. The punches are each slidable in the plunger as they were heretofore, but in this instance they are spring-pressed against the surface of the cam so that the cam when rotated will change the position of the punches relative to the plunger. Each of these punches are independently adjustable.

With reference to the drawings it) designates a base upon which there is a body portion ll. in this body portion there is a recess 12 in which a plunger 13 is slidable. This recess provides three sides for guiding the plunger, while gibs 14 extend over the fourth side of the plunger to provide a guide therefor. A stem 15 at the upper end of the plunger has some means 16 attached thereto for reciprocating the plunger in the machine. This plunger carries punches for the purpose of bending the ears or lugs of a terminal about the wire and its insul'ation.

The plunger is provided in two parts 17 and 13 which are so recessed that when fitted together they provide recesses between them. These recesses 19 and 2% provide slidable guide ways for punches 21 and 212. Each of these punches are reduced at their upper end providing a head portion 23 and 24 which is of a width less than that of the full width of the punch (see FIG. 5). The punches at their lower end are both generally U-shape as at 25 (seen on the punch 22) so as to provide a surface to engage and roll the ears of a terminal about the wire or the insulation therefor. The punch 21 has a projection 26 extending therefrom into the recess 27 in the portion 17 of the plunger, while the punch 21?, has a projection 23 extending into the recess 29 in the portion 13 of the plunger. The plunger 2d is pressed upwardly by spring 34 and plunger 22 is pressed upwardly by spring 3.1, each of which springs engage slidably guided members 32 and 3 through which they exert pressure on the projections 26 and 2 3 of the plungers fill and 2.2 forcing them upwardly. Screws 3% and 3-5 close the ends of the openings in which the springs 3d and 31 are located and may be adjusted for varying the pressure exerted by the springs. These springs surround each of these slide members 32 and 33 and force them upwardly and being shouldered are limited in their movement as to the distance that they may move the punches upwardly. The path of movement of the punches 2i and 242 is in the same directional line as the movement of the plunger or in othe words parallel to the axis of the stem 15 of the plunger. The plunger also carries a cutoff device 36 which serves to sever one terminfl from the strip as it is attached to the wire but is unimportant from the standpoint of this invention.

On an axis at right angles to the plane of the path of the punches 21 and 22, there is a shaft 37 in a bearing in the plunger. This shaft carries a cam 3% having a hub 4d extending therefrom which fixes the cam on the shaft '37 by means. of a screw ll at such a location that it is across path of movement of the punch 21 and therefore will be engaged by the head portion 23 thereof. This cam has a plurality of flat surfaces 4-2 which are located at different distances from the axis of shaft 37 so that as these different surfaces are presented to the punch Z-ll, it will be moved to different locations relative to the plunger and against the action of the spring 32%.

A second cam 44 is provided with a hub 45 which is reduced in diameter as at 46 and which telescopes over the shaft 37 there being a Washer 47 between the two cams 3'9 and 4d. This cam 44 and its hub 45, are freely rotatable upon the shaft 37. This cam likewise has a plurality of flat surfaces 48 which are at diiterent distances from the axis of the shaft 37 and which will engage the head 24 of the punch 22 so that as different surfaces are presented to the punch 22, it will be located at diiierent locations relative to the plunger. it however is completely independent so far as adjustment is concerned from the cam 39.

A dial 5% is positioned over the portion 4-6 of the hub of the last described cam and is secured thereto by a pin 54 so as to be fixed to this hub and this dial has different indicia 51 thereon for indicating the relative positions of the flat surfaces 4% of the cam id. A dial 5?. is secured on the shaft 37 in the relationship shown in FIG. 3 by pin 55 so that when it is turned the shaft 37 is rotated and the cam 39 fixed to this shaft rotated. Diiiercnt indicia 53 are on this dial so as to indicate the relative position of the different flat surfaces 42 of the cam- 39). Although the hub 4 5, 46 is mounted on the shaft 37, it Will not turn when the dial 52 turns the shaft 3-7 as there is sufiicient friction between the punch and the surface of the 4 to prevent such turning unless the dial St: is engaged and positively manually rotated.

From the above it will be apparent that given a certain diameter of insulation and diameter of wire, it will be a simple matter to turn the dials to the selected sizes to position the rolling punches for the accommodation of the wire and insulation desired whereupon the machine may be set into operation to complete the rolling action such as is more fully described, together with the feeding in my copending application above referred to No. 52,906.

I claim:

1. In a machine for attaching an electric terminal to a Wire, a plunger, a plurality of rolling punches independently slidable in said plunger in the direction of movement of said plunger, a plurality of co-axial cams in the path of movement of the punches and each independently rotatable about an axis at an angle to the path of movement of said punches to be engaged by said punches to determine the position of the punches in the plunger, and

means including a handle for each cam accessible from the front of said plunger to rotate the selected cam to vary the position of a selected p nch in the piunger.

' 2. In a machine as in claim 1 wherein resilient means urges the punches toward the cams.

3. in a machine for attaching an electric terminal to a Wire, 21 plunger, a plurality of rolling punches independently slidable in said plunger in the direction of movement of said plunger, a plurality of telescoping shafts each operable independently of the other, cams on each of said shafts, in the path of movement of the punches and each independently rotatable about an axis at an angle to the path of movement of said punches to be engaged by said punches to determine the position of the punches in the plunger, and means including a handle for each cam accessible from the front of said plunger to rotated the selected cam to vary the position of a selected punch in the plunger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 362,566 Beandry May 10, 1887 1,834,919 Altvater Dec. 8, 1931 2,135,002 Prick NOV. 1, 1938 3,051,213 Batcheller Aug. 28, 1962 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR ATTACHING AN ELECTRIC TERMINAL TO A WIRE, A PLUNGER, A PLURALITY OF ROLLING PUNCHES INDEPENDENTLY SLIDABLE IN SAID PLUNGER IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID PLUNGER, A PLURALITY OF CO-AXIAL CAMS IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE PUNCHES AND EACH INDEPENDENTLY ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS AT AN ANGLE TO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID PUNCHES TO BE ENGAGED BY SAID PUNCHES TO DETERMINE THE POSITION OF THE PUNCHES IN THE PLUNGER, AND MEANS INCLUDING A HANDLE FOR EACH CAM ACCESSIBLE FROM THE FRONT OF SAID PLUNGER TO ROTATE THE SELECTED CAM TO VARY THE POSITION OF A SELECTED PUNCH IN THE PLUNGER. 